Meyer, Universal’s president and COO, told friends recently that he’s expecting a move upstairs, although he doesn’t know when that might happen.

Meyer also sits atop Universal’s successful theme park business.

DreamWorks declined comment — and insiders noted that Snider’s name “comes up on every list.”

Snider, a former Universal chairman who oversaw the profitable “Bourne” series, is a partner with DreamWorks co-founder Steven Spielberg and has contracts with both Disney and DreamWorks backer Reliance.

Comcast officials poured cold water on the possibility of changes at the studio.

Meyer is the longest tenured studio boss, having sat in the corner office for exactly 17 years since taking the job on Aug. 1, 1995.

The 67-year-old executive signed a new deal in June 2011 that runs until 2015.

Still, NBCUniversal boss Steve Burke has signaled his frustration with Tinseltown. He told the talent agency CAA at a retreat this spring that the movie business is in “steady decline.” Burke cited declining DVD revenue and poor profit margins.

Then there is the lackluster recent performance of Universal.

Universal ranked fifth in market share among studios in 2011, finishing the year with a 10.2 percent slice of the box office pie, roughly $1.04 billion, according to Boxofficemojo.com.

That was its best performance in three years as Meyer struggled in 2009 and 2010 to achieve a market share in the high single digits — finishing sixth among its peers.

To be sure, Meyer has picked up the pace this year, powered most recently by “Ted,” the hit comedy about a saucy teddy bear.

The flick opened with $54.1 million and has grossed $195 million, helping Universal to its best performance in more than a decade.

It stands at No. 3 in market share, with a 14.8 percent slice of the pie.

Meyer is also overseeing an income statement revival as film revenue rose 22 percent in the first quarter from the prior quarter, thanks to “The Lorax” and “Safe House.”

The studio’s operating cash flow was $6 million versus an outflow of $146 million a year earlier.